Creating a Blog Site

Strictly speaking, creating a blog site is not a new feature to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. Using Windows SharePoint Services 2.0, it was possible to create a blog site from Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003. However, blog sites can be created from the browser in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. When using Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, the logical location for a blog site is a user’s personal site, or My Site, where a link exists with which to create a blog.

In this exercise, you will create a blog site and then establish categories for your blog posts.

OPEN the SharePoint site in which you would like to create a blog site. The exercise will use the http://wideworldimporters site, but you can use whatever site you want. If prompted, type your user name and password, and then click OK.

BE SURE TO verify that you have sufficient rights to create a blog site. If in doubt, see the Appendix on page 435.

1. From the Site Actions menu. select Create. The Create page appears.

2. Under Web Pages, click Sites and Workspaces.

3. In the Title and Description section, in the Title textbox, type Olga’s Blog.

4. In the Web Site Address section, in the URL name textbox, type OlgaBlog.

5. In the Template Selection section, on the Collaboration tab, select Blog.

6. Click Create. The Operation in Progress page is displayed, which is then replaced by the home page of the Olga’s Blog Web site.

The home page of a blog site consists of two Web Parts, Posts and Admin Links. Three areas can be found on the Quick Launch .

1. Categories Area where three sample categories are listed: Category 1, Category 2, and Category 3.

2. Other Blogs Area containing a link list where you can add link items to point to other user’s blogs.

3. Links Area containing another link list with three link items.

• Photos Redirects users to the Photos picture library on the Olga’s Blog Web site.

• Archive Redirects users to the Archive view for the Posts list. This view displays only those posts that are approved.

• Calendar Redirects users to the Calendar view for the Posts list.

7. On the Quick Launch, click Categories. The All Categories view of the Categories list is displayed.

8. Move the mouse over the Category 1 list item, and then click the down arrow that appears.

9. On the drop-down menu, click Edit Item to display the Categories: Category 1 page.

10. In the Title textbox, delete Category 1 and type Office.

11. Click OK.

12. Repeat Steps 8 to 11 to replace Category 2 with Bedroom and Category 3 with Garden.

13. Click the Olga’s Blog tab to display the home page of the blog site.

Under the Categories area are listed Office, Bedroom, and Garden.

14. Under Categories, click Add new category. The Categories: New Item page is displayed.

15. In the Title textbox, type General and then click OK.

Under the Categories area are listed Office, Bedroom, Garden, and General.

16. On the blog site’s home page, in the Admin Links Web Part, click Manage posts. The Posts list is displayed using the All Posts view.

17. Move the mouse over the Welcome to your Blog list item, and then click the down arrow that appears.

18. On the drop-down menu, click Delete Item. A Windows Internet Explorer dialog box appears.

19. Click OK to send the list item to the Recycle Bin.

The Posts list is redisplayed. The Welcome to your Blog list item is not listed.

CLOSE the browser.